MAPP Your Migraine
Although this article was originally written for Migraine patients, it can be helpful for people with any
Headache disorder.
No matter how effective our preventive regimen is, we're going to be struck with a Migraine from time to
time.
To make those Migraines easier to deal with, let's form a Migraine Action Plan and Pack, let's MAPP
them.
Here are the elements of the Plan...
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You and your doctor should have a treatment plan in place. For most Migraineurs, your first-line
medication when you have a Migraine will be a triptan (Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Amerge, Relpax,
Axert, Frova). Some take other medications such as an antinausea medication or NSAID with it.
Whatever your doctor has recommended, part of your Plan is being sure you have your
medications on hand. In addition to your abortive medications, be sure you have your rescue
medications on hand as well. Hopefully you won't need them, but if you do, the last thing you want
to discover is that you don't have them. For more information about the different types of
medications see Preventive, Abortive, and Rescue Medications - What's the Difference?
For those Migraines that strike at home, have a place you can rest as comfortably as possible
prepared in advance. For some tips on this, take a look at Make Your Home Friendly During a
Migraine.
If you sometimes need help from someone outside your home during a Migraine, be sure their
phone numbers are near your phone or programmed into the phone. Remembering those numbers
during a Migraine may not be possible.
Do you sometimes have to go to the ER for a severe Migraine? We have forms that can be filled out
in advance to make this easier. See Emergency Migraine and Headache Care - Forms To Help. You
may or may not need both of the forms available. The form for patients to fill out has your
insurance and contact information. It can speed things up and make life easier to be able to give
this to the person in registration. The other form can be helpful if your ER doesn't know what to do
for you or is suspicious of people coming in for Migraine. Your doctor can fill that out for you. Be
sure to make copies of this one rather than giving away the original.
Do you have young children who may need to be kept occupied when you have a Migraine? Get a
storage box and pack it with crayons, coloring books, puzzles, whatever items work for your
children. Keep it stocked and somewhere it can be easily accessed.
What can you eat and drink during a Migraine? Plan ahead and be sure that you're always stocked
with these groceries.
Want to be sure your family has nutritional meals even when you're down with a Migraine? Cook
double quantities, then freeze meals for them. This can work especially well with soups. Fix a big
pot, then freeze meals or individual portions in freezer bags. When you're down, it's easy for
someone to thaw and heat these meals.
Whether you're at home or traveling, what makes you comfortable during a Migraine? That leads
us to...
Possible parts of the Pack:
When you have a headache or a Migraine, there are things you truly need. Aren't
there also things you want? I mean just want them — for comfort? Of course there
are, and making yourself more comfortable does more than indulge yourself. Being as
comfortable and relaxed as possible can actually help our treatments work better.
Putting your hands on those things is difficult when your head is pounding, and all you
want to do is shut the world out and lie down. It's even more difficult when you travel.
Many of us hesitate to travel if our Migraines and/or headaches aren't well controlled.
That's a perfectly normal feeling. When we don't feel well, we tend to want to be at home with the things
we want and are used to close to us.
To make Migraine and headache days simpler and more comfortable, whether I'm at home or traveling,
I've put together a MAPP bag. I keep it filled with the things I need on those days with the exception of
medications. When I travel, I add my medications to it. Below are some suggestions of items to include in
your MAPP bag...
Start by choosing a bag that will hold the items you need, one that you're not using for
anything else. That way, you can leave it packed and ready for use. Lightweight is
good. There are some very durable crushed nylon bags available that weigh next to
nothing.
Another issue to consider when choosing your bag is accessibility. How easy is it to get
things out of it? You may want to avoid bags with buckles or other closures that
require good coordination to open. Velcro, snaps, and zippers are easier. If you want
to buy a new bag for this, you can find a wide variety of bags at www.ebags.com. In particular, they have
some nylon bags that weigh only a few ounces.
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There are many things I can do without, but a comfortable pillow isn't one of them. We
all have preferences about pillows, so why not choose a small one that makes you
super comfy? Travel pillows can work well for this, and they come in different shapes
and sizes. Some good sources for these are www.ebags.com and www.amazon.com.
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For me, a blanket is two things, warmth and comfort. I want something that is both
warm and very soft.
For this purpose, don't limit your search to blankets. Throws and flannel sheets are
also good options. Again, look at travel products. There are quite a few travel blankets
made of fleece. They're light weight, yet warm. They can fold or roll up to be pretty
small, and they wash easily. These too can be found online at www.ebags.com and
www.amazon.com.
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At home, I like gel packs from the freezer. Obviously, that's not easily achieved when
traveling. Cooling gel sheets are a good option. I've tried several brands without
noticing a significant difference, so I shop for them by price. The BeKoool sheets in the
children's size are a frequent choice. The children's size is large enough for most adults
and less expensive. Migraine Ice is another brand. You can find these in most
pharmacies or online at www.drugstore.com.
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For Migraineurs, darkness can be essential, so eye shades can be a necessity. It's
not always easy to find a very dark room when traveling. You're at the mercy of
whatever blinds and shades are in the rooms you're staying in, and if you get a
daytime Migraine in the car -- ouch! When choosing, be sure that, if there's a band
that goes around you head to hold them in place, it's not too tight. A good source for eye shades is
www.drugstore.com.
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Softly played music or soothing sounds can be a big help in relaxing, getting our minds
off our pain, or meditating. A portable CD player or MP3 player is a big bonus.
If the earphones for your MP3 player bother you when you have a Migraine, there are
now many good portable speaker systems that you can use with MP3 players.
Amazon.com has a wide variety of portable speaker systems in all price ranges.
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Don't forget the tissues. Add anything else you can think of that you might need or
want. I keep some peppermint hard candy in my bag because it helps relieve my
nausea. Some other possible items -- Peppermint tea bags, saltine crackers, bottled
water, peppermint essential oil diluted in a carrier oil, ear plugs..
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If you sometimes have to go to the ER for a Migraine, prepare the forms discussed above
and keep copies of them in your pack. Also keep a copy of all of all the medications you take
in your pack. Anyone who treats you will need this information. It can also be helpful to
make a copy of the front and back of your insurance card so they don't have to take the time
to do that at the hospital.
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Summary:
All of us with Migraine disease share a two-part goal:
1. Reduce the frequency and severity of our Migraine attacks as much as possible.
2. Abort those we do get as quickly as possible and reduce their impact on our lives.
MAPPing our Migraines goes a long way toward improving our quality of life by making those Migraines we
do get easier to cope with. A good MAPP also makes things easier on our families. Try it. You'll be amazed
how much difference a bit of organization and planning can make!
© Teri Robert, 2005 - Present.
Last updated May 23, 2016.